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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Horrible Things Of 2011 That Need To Go Away Now

Mamakat's prompt was to write about trends from 2011 that need to go bye.
Out with the old and in with the new, they say. Whoever "they" are, they were right about some things needing to be thrown out. I have a short list of things from last year, that need to just disappear. Like stinky old shoes and that stale, moldy, danish that I accidentally left behind the coffee pot and forgot about, the items on my list need to be gone. They serve no useful purpose, and in some cases are downright harmful.

The use of the words "baby bump". The words "baby bump" are just horrid. The usage of that term does nothing but minimize and objectify something that should be very special and meaningful. It's a pregnancy, not a zit or a mosquito bite. There's a baby in that belly, in most cases. A miniature person! How cool is that? But when a baby is called a "bump", people see it as an object, like a Lego kit. And if there's not a baby in there, it is downright evil to draw attention to that area. It is rude to point out that a person is fat in a way that makes them look pregnant. When I lost my daughter Zoe to pre eclampsia, I still looked pregnant. It killed me every time people would touch my belly and ask me when I was due. I decree that the person being referred to as having a 'bump' should be allowed to punch the offender in the face without consequence.

Promoting victim mentality. It seems that everywhere I turn, people are saying "It's not my fault, because..." And there are scores of people clapping behind this person, patting him on the head and telling him he is a good boy. I've also heard "He's not responsible(for robbing a bank) because he was being bullied", "My child had that marijuana on him because he's a follower", "She's not responsible because the girls all hate her", among others. My favorite last year was "My child is not responsible for punching that kid in the face because he is autistic. AND the other kid was bullying him." Really? Do we really want to go with this "Because I was bullied everyone OWES me"mentality? Nobody wants to take responsibility for their actions anymore. Why should they? If they are seen as a victim, they get all sorts of extra attention, and they don't have to do whatever. There are kids that I know who are called "Mijo Santos". They run to Mama whenever they don't get what they want or when they are expected to follow through. Mama fight the battles for her child, and the child learns that he is not responsible for anything because he's a victim. Things happen to victims, and in some cases they seem to invite it. They bear no responsibility for their actions, and make no choices as to what will happen to them. Victims are helpless, floating like a leaf being washed down the drain. This has to change. We all make choices or decisions, it is time we started taking responsibility for them. Stand up and say "Yeah, I did it!"

Texting or on the phone while driving. Look, they've done studies. Those studies have been replicated. People who study this sort of phenomenon have stated that cell phone use should be banned while driving. It's simple: if you are texting or yakking on your phone, you are not paying attention where you need to be. You are driving something that weighs a lot and thus Your driving skills at this point are similar to what someone would exhibit if they were drunk. There are other people on the road with you, driving while texting also. Then there is me, with my child in the back seat, having at least four near-misses just trying to drive from daycare to home. There is no reason at all that anyone would need to text while you are driving; pull over the car if it is that important! If someone is texting while driving and they hit my car and I am not badly injured, part of any settlement will include my slapping you silly on youtube for eternity.
Horrible reality shows I don't care about Jersey Shore with the crappy hair and bad dressing. I don't care about the Housewives of Where ever who don't actually ever do any housework. If you're a housewife, certain responsibilities are expected, like doing the dishes and cooking dinner. None of these shows should be called "reality" anything. Real people don't do these things. What all these crappy reality shows are all about is cheap product. That's right--the networks don't have to spend a lot, and they get a lot of cash back from them. The message here is that people are too stupid to want quality television; we'll just sit there and watch whatever is on and be perfectly happy about it. DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID!!! Put that kool-aid down and find something better to do